Natural disasters of the Asia Pacific Region: 2008 Sichuan Earthquake

In terms of the energy released, the Magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck Sichuan province in China in May 2008 was not a record-setter. But the destruction it wrought, and the number of people it affected, certainly make it a stand-out event.

The impact of the Sichuan quake was not only felt through the death toll and significant economic loss but also in terms of the sheer number of people affected.

People who were killed, injured or bereaved in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake had the cruel misfortune to be victims of an event that probably occurs just once in four millennia, seismologists report.

This comprehensive page offers information not only on the relief effort but on the recovery effort. Skim the page by looking for the headings to find the information you need.

The UN refugee agency is supplying 11,000 tents to provide emergency shelter for 55,000 people, in response to yesterday’s request by the Government.

The response to the earthquake was dominated by the Chinese government. Although the government invited international humanitarian assistance, few international NGOs engaged directly in emergency response, for a number of reasons.

In May 2008, an earthquake centred on Wenchuan County in Sichuan province hit Sichuan and the neighbouring province of Gansu. The Wenchuan Earthquake Recovery Project for China followed, bolstered by funding support from the World Bank and relief aid coming from around the world and from all over the People's Republic of China.

The project succeeded in its reconstruction goals, rebuilding vital infrastructure and healthcare and education services.